DJ Shadow announces two archival compilations

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This fall, DJ Shadow will release two sizable archival compilations that span the length of his 20-plus-year career. On August 15th, Shadow will offer his earliest, unreleased Akai MPC productions as Total Breakdown: Hidden Transmissions From The MPC Era, 1992-1996. The 24-track effort will be available on CD, double-vinyl, and download (complete with exclusive content) and features several previously-aborted tunes, including instrumental tracks from a shelved 1994 EP planned with The Gift Of Gab, parts of which would eventually become the hit “Six Days.”

In a press release, Shadow explained the project’s contextual importance, saying, “I like to follow up new material (like his latest, 2011’s The Less You Know, The Better) with a tastefully-done archival project. As long as the old stuff is given a context and doesn’t overshadow the new, I think it’s a healthy exercise for me, and one that re-calibrates me for whatever new musical path lies ahead. I think it’s important to revisit where you’ve been occasionally so that you can determine where to go.”

Below, you can stream 30-second previews of several Total Breakdown pieces, or head to Shadow’s website to download two tracks, “Affectations” (from 1996) and “Dreams Of A Piece” (from 1992).

Then, on September 3rd, Shadow will release Reconstructed: The Best Of DJ Shadow, a best-of collection from his five solo LPs and his collaborative record with UNKLE’s James Lavelle, Psyence Fiction. The eight-disc set will be limited to 500 copies worldwide and will include a 12-inch vinyl record, an essay by acclaimed music writer Dave Tompkins, and photos from throughout Shadow’s career. Alongside some of Shadow’s biggest singles, the collection will feature two new cuts, “Listen” and “Won’t You Be”. The latter is streaming now at BBC 6’s website (skip to the two-hour, 40-minute mark to stream it and a short interview with Shadow).